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■V  .'X  . . 


March  1st,  1913 


MARIUS  DE  ZAYAS 
PAUL  B.  HAVILAND 

A Study  of 

The  Modem  Evolution 
of  Plastic  Expression 


PUBLISHED  BY  “291" 

NEW  YORK 

291  FIFTH  AVENUE,  FOURTH  FLOOR 


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MAEIUS  DE  ZAYAS 


The  new  art  in  Paris. 
The  Sun  has  set. 
Photography. 

The  Evolution  of  Form. 

( Introduction ) . 

Pablo  Picasso. 


Camera  Work  XXXIV. 
Camera  Work  XXXIX. 
Camera  Work  XLI. 

Camera  Work  XLI. 
Camera  Work  XXXIV. 


GERTKUDE  STEIN 
Henri  Matisse.  ) Camera  Work. 
Pablo  Picasso.  ) Special  number. 


These  articles  all  relate  to  different  phases  of  the  modern 
movement  in  art.  Mr.  de  Zayas'  studies  on  The  Evolution 
of  Form  will  appear  serially  in  Camera  Worlc,  published  by 
Alfred  Stieglitz,  1111  Madison  Avenue,  New  Yorh  City. 


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■ „ . A i. 


) 


A Study  of 

The  Modern  Evolution 
of  Plastic  Expression 


Copyrighted  1913 

by  Marius  de  Zayas  and  Paul  B.  Haviland 


Beginning  in  the  fall  of  1905  with  a series  of  ex- 
hibitions of  Photographs  in  a little  garret  at  291 
Fifth  Avenue y New  York  Citpy  a small  nucleus  of 
kindred  spirits  started  for  their  own  satisfaction  a 
series  of  exhibitions  at  which  the  public  was  freely 
admitted.  The  main  purpose  of  these  exhibitions 
has  at  all  times  been  to  test  the  living  value  of 
examples  of  the  work  of  certain  men.  The  apparent 
issue y judging  by  the  published  criticisms y seems  to 
have  been  whether  the  work  shown  was  ^^art”  or 
^^personal  expression”  or  what  not.  It  matters  little 
whether  these  questions  are  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive or  in  the  negative.  As  a matter  of  fact  there 
are  some  of  those  most  vitally  interested  in  the 
movement  who  hold  that  photography  is  not  an  arty 
and  that  neithery  for  that  mattery  is  painting  in 
its  most  advanced  manifestations.  But  the  essen- 
tial point  and  that  which  gives  them  their  claim- 
to  earnest  consideration y however  they  may  be 
classifiedy  is  that  the  works  shown  possess  an  ele- 
ment of  life  and  are  the  logical  and  necessary  out- 
come of  conditions  obtaining  in  our  time. 


The  active  workers  of  this  association,  headed  by 
Alfred  Stieglitz,  have  been  brought  and  held  to- 
gether by  an  indomitable  spirit  of  investigation. 
They  have  been  inquisitive  to  the  point  of  indiscre- 
tion, and  childlike,  when  those  in  authority,  those 
who  know  all  that  can  be  learned  about  art  would 
tell  them:  Don’t  pay  attention  to  this;  this  is  not 
art;”  they  would  answer:  ^^but  it  interests  me,  1 
want  to  find  out.”  Their  attitude  may  well  be 
summed  up  in  the  folloiving  incident: 

A well  known  collector  and  connoisseur,  wan- 
dered into  the  little  gallerie  at  ^^291”  while  the  first 
exhibition  of  John  Marin  decorated  the  walls. 
After  a rapid  glance  at  the  water  colors  he  turned 
aggressively  towards  Alfred  Stieglitz,  and  in  a tone 
which  admitted  no  contradiction:  ^^This  is  not  Art,” 
said  he,  ^^and  I am  supposed  to  knoio  something 
about  art.” — ^^Yes,”  answered  Stieglitz,  unper- 
turbed, ^^but  you  have  finished  your  education,  I am 
beginning  mine.” 

The  main  value  of  the  exhibitions  held  at  ^^291” 
has  not  been  the  mere  gratification  of  a curiosity  to 
see  the  work  of  artists  who  were  beginning  to  play 
a role  in  the  European  Art  World,  or  of  artists  who 
were  struggling  for  recognition;  it  does  not  lie  either 
in  the  fact  that  these  artists  were  given  an  oppor- 
tunity to  reach  the  public. 


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The  inestimahle  value  of  these  ecohihitions  lies  in 
the  unique  opportunity  for  serious  and  systematic 
study  of  modern  expression.  It  lies  in  the  subse- 
quent discussions y in  the  analytical  work  which  fol- 
lowedy  in  the  experiments  which  they  inspired.  In 
short  ^^291”  is  primarily  a laboratory  where  the 
work  presented  is  impartially  analyzed y dissected y 
put  through  the  severest  tests  for  the  purpose  of 
finding  out  the  truth  whatever  that  truth  may  be 
and  whatever  results  it  may  have.  From  common 
study  of  the  work  shown  at  ^^291”y  and  from  inde- 
pendent study  of  the  work  of  artists  in  PariSy  and 
of  the  art  of  previous  periods  and  different  peoples^ 
as  well  as  from  contributions  in  other  sciences  we 
have  come  to  certain  conclusions  which  we  pre- 
sent here  in  the  hope  that  they  may  help  to  a better 
understanding  of  modern  plastic  art. 

In  approaching  the  study  of  the  modern  evolution 
of  expression  let  us  forget  what  we  know  about  art 
and  all  our  prejudices  and  regard  it  merely  as  an 
expression  of  life  through  the  activities  of  man. 


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■fi 


" 5 


A STUDY  OF  THE  MODERN  EVOLUTION  OF 


PLASTIC  EXPRESSION. 


The  first  thing  that  strikes  ns  in  looking  at  the 
works  belonging  to  the  latest  phase  of  the  evolu- 
tion of  plastic  arts  is  that  they  are,  in  their  realiza- 
tion, entirely  different  from  the  works  we  are  ac- 
customed to  consider  as  works  of  art. 

Being  different  in  realization,  they  must  be  dif- 
ferent in  conception. 

If  they  are  different  in  conception  we  can  not 
judge  them  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  concep- 
tions we  are  familiar  with  and  we  must  adapt  our 
point  of  view  of  the  mind  which  conceived  them. 
These  works  of  art  although  different  in  realization 
and  conception  are  not  new  creations.  Creation  is 
not  an  attribute  of  humanity.  Nothing  is  done  by 
man  which  has  not  its  fundamental  basis  outside  of 
man.  This  new  expression  of  art  is  nothing  but  the 


The  Modern  Evolution  of 

evolution  of  the  old  expression  of  art.  The  artist  of 
to-day,  is  impelled  by  the  same  inner  motive  power 
to’wards  production  that  impelled  the  artist  of  older 
days.  The  essence  of  this  motive  power  is  beyond 
human  understanding.  But  if  the  inner  force  re- 
mains the  same,  the  causes  that  set  it  working 
change  with  the  evolution  of  man.  In  order  to 
understand  the  effect  we  must  first  attain  an  under- 
standing of  the  cause. 

For  the  sake  of  clearness  we  will  take  as  estab- 
lished truths  the  following  conclusions  which  we 
propose  to  prove  in  the  course  of  our  papers. 

The  artist  being  part  of  the  community  refiects 
the  soul  of  the  community  in  which  he  lives;  not 
of  the  community  in  the  sense  of  the  general 
masses,  but  in  the  sense  of  those  elements  through 
which  he  comes  in  contact  with  the  communal  life. 

The  artist  in  all  times  has  been  closely  allied  to 
the  religious  spirit  of  his  time.  By  religion  we 
mean,  not  the  established  dogmas  of  official  wor- 
ship, but  the  instinctive  devotion  to  the  funda- 
mental ideas  which  constitute  the  state  of  civiliza- 
tion of  his  time.  When  man  worshiped  the  forces 
of  nature  the  artist  devoted  himself  to  the  repre- 
sentation of  the  forces  of  nature;  when  man  wor- 
shiped beauty,  the  artist  gave  material  representa- 
tion to  his  conception  of  beauty.  The  religion  of 
to-day  is  science,  and  the  modern  movement  in  art 


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Plastic  Expression 

reflects  this  characteristic  intellectual  and  analyti- 
cal attitude  of  mind. 

The  artist  of  to-day  does  not  appeal  to  our  sen- 
sual sense  of  pleasure  or  displeasure,  but  to  our 
analytical  faculties,  not  to  our  emotions  but  to 
our  intellect.  We  must  therefore  approach  his 
work,  not  wdth  the  question  to  ourselves : ^^Does  it 
give  us  pleasure’’?  — but  ^^Do  we  understand  it”? 

We  must  approach  the  study  of  the  modern  move- 
ment in  art  with  an  open  mind,  without  reference 
to  previous  standards,  and  acquire  an  understand- 
ing of  the  artist’s  purpose  before  we  can  pass  judg- 
ment on  the  expression  of  his  purpose. 

Several  questions  arise  here  which  should  be 
answered  before  we  can  give  this  new  movement  its 
proper  place. 

First. — Must  we  take  the  trouble  to  study  and 
analyse  every  work  which  is  brought  to  our  atten- 
tion? 

Second. — If  modern  art  is  nothing  but  a scien- 
tific expression  of  man,  its  object  must  be  the  indi- 
cation of  truth,  and  by  necessity,  on  account  of  its 
nature,  the  representation  of  truth.  Is  it  worth 
while  trying  to  get  at  truth  through  abstract  and 
apparently  incomprehensible  representations  of  the 
investigations  of  the  artist,  or  does  this  kind  of 
research  belong  to  the  strictly  scientific  men?  It 


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The  Modern  Evolution  of 

is  a scientific  fact  that  truth  is  easy  and  clear  when 
it  is  known.  It  is  also  true  that  the  investigation 
of  it  is  in  most  cases  intricate  and  obscure.  Have 
the  modern  artists  expressed  a truth  or  the  truth, 
or  have  they  only  tried  to  express  the  process  of 
their  investigation? 

Third. — If  they  are  working  along  the  same  lines 
as  science,  are  they  all,  like  the  scientists,  working 
hand  in  hand  for  the  realization,  or  comprehension, 
or  explanation  of  the  same  truth?  If  so,  wherein 
lies  their  individuality?  Can  there  be  individuality 
in  a common  effort? 

The  question  of  whether  we  should  give  consid- 
eration to  every  work  of  art  that  is  produced  is 
simply  a matter  of  discernment.  We  are  aware 
that  primary,  or  rather  fundamental  ideas  or  re- 
forms have  been  elucidated  and  expressed  by  indi- 
viduals or  groups  of  individuals.  Other  individu- 
als or  groups  of  individuals  reflect  secondary 
ideas  emanating  from  this  principal  idea,  with- 
out adding  to,  correcting,  or  improving  on  the 
fundamental  idea.  The  work  of  those  who 
have  contributed  the  fundamental  ideas  is  the 
work  which  is  worthy  of  consideration  and 
study.  The  work  of  the  others  expresses  only  the 
acceptance  of  the  primary  idea  by  that  part  of 
humanity  which  always  takes  up  a new  idea  for  the 
sake  of  imitation. 


12 


Plastic  Expression 

As  to  the  second  question  we  do  not  think  that 
art  has  yet  reached  a stage  where  it  can  be  con- 
sidered as  a pure  scientific  expression  of  man 
through  the  elements  offered  by  science  and  art.  It 
is  really  in  a period  of  transition  and  still  a mix- 
ture of  the  expression  of  the  intellectual  and  emo- 
tional ego.  It  is  not  only  the  expression  of  the 
gratification  afforded  by  an  object,  but  the  expres- 
sion of  the  cognition  of  it,  and  of  all  the  ideas  it 
awakens  in  our  brain.  It  fills  a place  in  science 
which  no  other  of  its  branches  can  fill.  We  agree 
with  Prof.  Grosse  that  the  duty  of  science  is  to 
establish  and  explain  certain  phenomena.  The 
phenomena  of  the  plastic  effect  of  form  on  our 
brain  are  plastic  ideas,  generated,  we  might  say,  by 
plastic  perception,  and  which  to  be  expressed  must 
be  plastically  represented.  But  in  order  to  repre- 
sent them  (not  to  feel  them),  we  must  be  conscious 
of  them. 

The  third  question,  bearing  on  individuality  can 
be  better  answered  after  we  have  studied  the  influ- 
ences which  bring  man  to  express  himself  plasti- 
cally; and  we  will  treat  of  this  subject  in  a later 
part  of  this  paper. 


13 


The  Modern  Evolution  of 


A plastic  work  of  art  for  the  purpose  of  this  essay 
may  be  said  to  be : The  manifestation  of  the  natural 
force  which  impels  man  to  express  a conception 
through  the  use  of  form. 

The  conception  and  expression  may  not  seem 
clear  or  logical  to  the  public  who  has  not  followed 
the  elaboration  of  the  process  of  production,  al- 
though it  is  perfectly  clear  and  logical  to  the  artist 
himself.  John  Marin  says  in  a little  notice  pub- 
lished at  the  time  of  his  last  exhibition  of  water- 
colors  at  ^^291’’ : 

“It  is  this  ^moving  of  me’  that  I try  to  ex- 
press, so  that  I may  recall  the  spell  I have 
been  under  and  behold  the  expression  of  the 
different  emotions  which  have  been  called 
into  being.” 

The  true  artist  works  first  of  all  to  satisfy  a natu- 
ral need  of  expressing  himself  for  his  own  satisfac- 
tion and  he  has  created  a work  of  art  when  he  has 
expressed  himself  in  such  a way  that  his  concep- 
tion is  clearly  represented  for  himself.  Jf  the 
public  wishes  to  share  the  pleasure  of  the  artist 


14 


Plastic  Expression 

they  should  take  the  pains  of  trying  to  understand 
what  the  artist  has  tried  to  express,  and  they  are 
arguing  beside  the  point  when  they  blame  him  for 
not  having  taken  them  into  consideration  in  a purely 
personal  question.  That  is  why  our  personal  likes 
and  dislikes  have  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the 
achievement  of  the  artist  which  should  be  measured 
solely  by  his  success  in  expressing  what  he  at- 
tempted to  express.  The  work  of  art  exists 

then  irrespective  of  the  effect  it  may  pro- 
duce on  the  public,  as  the  mind  of  the  pub- 
lic exists  irrespective  of  the  work  of  art.  It 
is  when  the  work  of  art  corresponds  in  meaning 
to  the  feelings  and  emotions  which  the  public  is 
conscious  of  that  it  finds  a response  in  the  public. 
When  the  work  of  art  is  the  product  of  beliefs,  feel- 
ings and  emotions  of  a kind  not  known  to  the  pub- 
lic, the  public  must  first  know  those  beliefs,  feelings 
and  emotions,  be  conscious  of  them  and  look  for 
them  in  the  work  of  art  before  it  can  understand 
the  expression  of  the  artist. 

Many  other  things  exist  without  being  known  to 
man.  It  is  only  when  the  laws  of  the  existence  of 
these  things  have  been  revealed  to  us,  when  experi- 
mental science  has  proven  the  fact  of  their  existence 
and  made  us  understand  it  that  we  adopt  them  as 
a matter  of  course.  The  radium,  the  X rays,  wire- 
less telegraphy,  are  good  examples  of  our  point. 


15 


The  Modern  Evolution  of 

Form  is  limited  space.  Art  expressing  itself 
througli  form,  must  adapt  particular  forms  to  par- 
ticular conceptions.  To  us  form  can  be  of  two 
kinds;  Material  Form,  which  expresses  the  exist- 
ence of  an  object,  and  Intellectual  Form,  which 
expresses  the  existence  of  an  idea.  Material 
Form  obeys  the  laws  of  physics.  Intellec- 
tual Form  the  laws  of  psychology.  The  first 
is  revealed  to  our  conscience  only  by  percep- 
tion, the  second  by  perception  and  knowledge.  The 
first,  when  beautiful,  gratifies  our  sense  of  percep- 
tion, the  second  stimulates  our  intelligence.  It  is 
therefore  possible  that  a work  of  art  wherein  the 
artist  has  expressed  himself  through  the  second 
expression  of  form,  the  psychological  one,  might 
not  gratify  our  sense  of  perception  and  yet  gratify 
to  a high  degree  our  intellect. 

A lady,  visiting  ^^291’’  during  the  second  Marin 
exhibition,  became  very  much  excited  at  not  having 
been  able  to  grasp  the  full  expression  of  the  water- 
colors  after  a five  minutes  examination  and  took 
Alfred  Stieglitz  severely  to  task : 

Lady. — Do  3^ou  think  these  are  good  paintings? 

Stieglitz. — I think  they  are  excellent  paintings. 

Lady. — Well,  I can’t  see  anything  in  them,  and 
yet  I just  adore  art. 

Stieglitz. — You  do  not  surprise  me.  You  prob- 
ably like  Japanese  prints. 


16 


Plastic  Expression 

Lady. — Yes,  I understand  and  adore  Japanese 
prints.  I begin  to  see  something  in  this  Marin  over 
there;  it  looks  a little  like  one  of  the  Hokusai 
prints. 

Stieglitz. — What  you  have  just  said  makes  me 
think  that  you  are  farther  than  ever  from  under- 
standing Marin’s  work.  Perhaps  if  you  forgot  for 
a few  moments  Japanese  prints  and  other  works 
you  have  seen  before  and  gave  yourself  a chance  to 
relax  while  you  are  looking  at  Marin’s  work  you 
might  perceive  something  of  what  he  intended  to 
convey. 

Lady. — Well,  I don’t  think  an  artist  should 

Stieglitz. — Excuse  me,  just  a minute.  Why 
should  you  presume  to  tell  an  artist  what  he  should 
do.  When  he  is  working  he  is  not  thinking  of  you 
or  me,  or  anybody  else ; he  is  only  satisfying  a need 
of  expressing  something  which  is  within  him. 
When  we  are  admitted  to  look  at  his  work  we  are 
invited  to  look  at  his  expression  of  his  own  thoughts 
or  emotions,  not  of  what  we  w^ould  have  thought  or 
felt  under  like  circumstances.  Therefore  we  are 
not  to  look  for  any  part  of  ourselves  in  his  work. 
But  if  we  are  anxious  to  take  advantage  of  the  oc- 
casion which  he  offers  us  to  share  his  pleasure,  we 
must  try  to  understand  what  he  has  expressed ; and 
if  we  don’t  understand  it  is  probably  more  our  own 
fault  than  that  of  the  artist. 


17 


The  Modern  Evolution  of 

Lady. — Do  these  water-colors  mean  anything  to 
you? 

Stieglitz. — They  give  me  a great  amount  of 
pleasure. 

Lady. — Well,  w^on’t  you  explain  to  me  what 
pleasure  you  get  out  of  them? 

Stieglitz. — Let  me  first  ask  you  a question. 
Some  people  are  fond  of  oysters  and  some  are  not. 
Are  you  among  the  people  who  like  them  or  among 
those  who  donT? 

Lady. — I am  very  fond  of  them. 

Stieglitz. — Well,  I never  could  bear  the  idea  of 
tasting  one.  Now,  will  you  please  explain  to  me  in 
words  what  pleasant  sensation  an  oyster  gives  you 
so  that  I will  know  what  it  tastes  like? 

Lady. — I could  not  do  it. 

Stieglitz. — No,  you  could  not,  no  matter  how 
eloquent  you  might  be.  I must  find  out  for  myself. 
Neither  can  I explain  to  you  in  words  the  pleasure 
I get  from  a painting  or  a statue.  The  plastic 
artist  expresses  himself  through  his  own  medium 
and  you  must  study  him  through  his  medium  to  get 
at  what  he  wished  to  express. 


Our  purpose  in  these  papers  is  not  to  write  a 
brief  in  favor  of  the  modern  evolution  in  art.  It 
matters  little  whether  we  accept  it  or  not;  it  exists. 


18 


Plastic  Expression 

We  will  simply  take  it  as  an  existing  phenomenon 
and  study  the  reasons  for  its  existence,  its  nature, 
its  origin,  its  evolution  as  far  as  it  has  evolved  and 
its  tendencies  as  far  as  they  are  discernible. 

Each  of  us  has  an  inalienable  right  to  his  own 
sympathies  and  antipathies  and  to  his  own  method 
of  expressing  himself.  Let  ns  recognize  the  same 
right  in  others,  and  since  they  are  active  factors  in 
the  community  in  which  we  live,  let  ns  give  them  a 
hearing  and  try  to  understand  them,  and  possibly 
when  we  have  understood  them  we  will  congratu- 
late ourselves  for  having  taken  a little  extra  pains 
to  do  so. 


Art,  in  its  evolution  is  closely  related  to  other 
phrases  of  the  evolution  of  man;  it  is  therefore 
necessary  in  order  to  understand  the  new  expres- 
sion to  study  the  influences  which  have  brought 
about  a change  in  the  point  of  view  of  the  artist 
and  the  nature  of  the  form  through  which  he  ex- 
presses himself. 

Art  is  being  largely  influenced  and  possibly  ab- 
sorbed by  science  inasmuch  as  it  expresses  a scien- 
tific phenomenon  which  can  only  be  expressed 
through  form.  It  aims  in  its  highest  manifestations 
to  express,  not  the  objective  but  the  subjective 
world.  It  is  trying  to  make  form  a vehicle  for 
psychology  and  metaphysics. 


19 


The  Modern  Evolution  of 

In  order  to  express  new  ideas  it  has  been  obliged 
to  look  for  a different  form.  It  has  selected  at  its 
departure  the  form  of  the  art  of  the  primitive 
races,  logically,  we  think,  because  primitive  form 
is  the  most  adaptable  to  the  expression  of  feelings 
being  essentially  the  imaginative  form,  and  also 
the  most  simple  and  direct.  Primitive  art  is  the 
work  most  closely  related  to  the  feelings. 

In  naturalistic  art  in  order  to  appreciate  a paint- 
ing, all  that  was  necessary  was  a sense  of  com- 
parison and  a sense  of  decoration.  Modern  art  does 
not  aim  at  either  representation  or  decoration  and 
should  be  looked  upon  as  aiming  to  give  us  an  ab- 
stract emotion  such  as  would  be  given  us  by  music. 
One  is  not  to  look  for  perceptive  pleasure  in  the 
things  represented,  but  for  the  way  these  things 
have  excited  the  intellectuality  of  the  artist,  mak- 
ing him  invent  the  way  in  which  the  things  are 
represented. 

In  the  modern  manifestation  of  plastic  art,  ob- 
jective form  is  a necessary,  but  not  in  itself  suf- 
ficient element.  It  is  simply  a vehicle  for  the  ex- 
pression of  an  intellectual  conception. 

It  can  not  be  reasonably  expected  of  the  public 
that  they  should  understand  without  some  help 
such  a radical  departure  from  established  stand- 
ards in  plastic  expression. 


20 


Plastic  Expression 


We  consider  the  inner  force  which  impels  man  to 
the  production  of  art  as  a manifestation  of  the  law 
of  reproduction.  What  is  generally  known  as  in- 
spiration is  the  stimulation  of  the  intellect  and 
the  emotions  from  elements  which  exist  outside  of 
man.  The  inner  force  which  impels,  and  we  could 
say,  compels  man  to  production,  is  awakened 
through  these  outside  influences.  The  degree  of  in- 
tensity in  the  conception  and  expression  of  a work 
of  art  is  determined  by  the  intensity  of  the  inner 
force  which  impels  man  to  production;  but  if  the 
productive  faculties  are  not  responsive  to  that 
force,  if  their  degree  of  perfection  does  not  cor- 
respond to  the  degree  of  intensity  of  that  force,  the 
result  is  out  of  equilibrium.  It  is  not,  then,  only 
the  degree  of  inspiration  that  marks  the  potential- 
ity or  the  merit  of  a work  of  art,  but  the  inspira- 
tion plus  the  degree  of  all  the  productive  faculties. 
By  productive  faculties  we  understand  all  the  in- 
tellectual elements  which  play  a part  in  the  act  of 
production  such  as  perception,  memory,  reason, 
imagination. 

In  the  communal  arts  which  have  always  been  re- 
ligious the  inspiration  as  well  as  the  productive 


21 


The  Modern  Evolution  of 

faculties  were  understood  by  every  member  of  the 
community  because  the  artist  expressed  a belief 
common  to  all,  and  in  this  case  the  impelling  force, 
the  inspiration,  is  really  the  one  factor  which  meas- 
ures the  potentiality  of  the  production.  For  those 
who  are  not  thoroughly  steeped  in  the  beliefs  of 
that  time  the  productive  faculties  which  alter  the 
forms  in  order  to  express  better  the  impelling  force, 
seem  to  be  the  important  factor. 

To  make  ourselves  clear  let  us  take  as  an  example 
the  Gothic  art.  In  it  we  find  that  form  has  been 
altered  to  the  point  of  becoming  symbolical  or 
rather  conventional.  It  impresses  us  so  because  we 
are  not  under  the  spell  of  the  belief  which  existed 
at  the  time  of  their  production.  It  is  the  expres- 
sion of  the  productive  faculties  which  impresses  us 
first  and  most  deeply.  While  their  forms  are  to  us 
strange  and  conventional,  we  know  that  the  peo- 
ple of  that  time  found  them  perfectly  logical  and 
justified,  and  those  alterations  of  form  which  are 
strange  and  conventional  to  us  were  the  expres- 
sion of  the  degree  of  inspiration  of  the  time. 

We  look  in  the  same  way  on  the  art  of  other  be- 
liefs. We  do  not  understand  or  enjoy  them  fully 
until  we  have  a perfect  knowledge  of  the  conditions 
that  set  the  inner  force  in  action  and  of  the  reason 
for  the  expression  of  the  productive  faculties.  Not 
being  at  first  satisfied  by  the  Egyptian  and  Greek 


22 


Plastic  Expression 

arts  which  at  once  asserted  their  merits,  inasmuch 
as  they  gratified  our  naturalistic  nature,  we  went 
into  the  study  of  their  philosophy,  history  and 
religion  in  order  to  gain  a full  understanding  of 
their  art  by  relating  it  in  a more  or  less  conscious 
manner  to  the  other  manifestations  of  their  civiliza- 
tion. We  proceeded  in  the  same  manner  with 
Japanese  and  Chinese  art  and  with  the  art  of  other 
nations. 

Why  should  we  not  follow  the  same  method  when 
studying  the  art  of  our  contemporaries  who  are 
much  more  closely  related  to  us  inasmuch  as  they 
are  expressing  the  character  of  the  time  in  which  we 
are  living?  We  think  it  worth  while  to  take  the 
trouble  to  do  so.  When  we  studied  the  conditions 
which  were  peculiar  to  the  peoples  who  produced  the 
arts  we  wanted  to  understand  we  succeeded  in  un- 
derstanding their  art,  from  their  own  peculiar  point 
of  view,  with  the  help  of  data  furnished  by  their 
literature.  We  should  attain  the  same  happy  result 
with  modern  art  by  applying  the  same  method  of 
inquiry.  We  should  then  study  the  general  con- 
ditions of  our  time,  its  beliefs,  its  tendencies,  in 
other  words  we  must  study  our  life,  the  meaning  of 
the  actions  of  our  time  in  order  to  understand  the 
expression  of  that  meaning. 


23 


The  Modern  Evolution  of 


We  do  not  believe  in  Individualism  in  the  literal 
sense  of  the  word.  The  word  Individualism,  we 
take  it,  when  used  in  connection  with  art  is  gener- 
ally taken  to  express  a system  of  isolation  the  spirit 
of  which  is  in  opposite  direction  to  the  spirit  of 
association  and  in  which  man  is  supposed  to  mani- 
fest the  exclusive  product  of  his  own  mind.  If  this 
is  true  the  term  can  not  be  applied  to  any  attitude 
of  man  in  art. 

Given  the  two  principal  factors  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  a work  of  art;  the  impelling  inner 
force,  and  the  intellectual  faculties,  it  can  be  said 
that  the  impelling  inner  force  belongs  exclusively 
to  man,  or  in  other  words  exists  in  man  without 
reference  to  the  outside  world.  By  intellectual  fac- 
ulties we  understand  the  faculties  of  perception,  the 
memory,  the  reflective  faculty  and  the  imagination. 
The  intellectual  faculties  need  stimulation  from  the 
outside  world  to  be  awakened.  In  brief  the  process 
of  intellectual  productive  activity  is  as  follows: 
Our  brain  receives  an  impression  from  the  outside 
world  and  our  conscience  gives  us  knowledge  of  it. 
Our  memory  retains  this  knowledge;  our  reason 


24 


Plastic  Expression 

weighs  and  compares  the  materials  that  our  mind 
has  acquired,  while  our  imagination  composes  with 
these  materials  an  idea  of  the  outside  world  and 
its  manner  of  expression.  The  intellectual  facul- 
ties become  productive  faculties  when  action  comes 
into  play.  Action  is  brought  about  by  the  impelling 
inner  force.  The  process  is  about  as  follows.  The 
normal  state  of  mind  exists  when  all  our  faculties 
are  in  an  equal  state  of  activity  or  receptiveness. 
They  can  then  be  said  to  be  in  a state  of  perfect 
equilibrium.  When  through  excitation  from  the 
outside  world  certain  intellectual  faculties  become 
unduly  excited  this  condition  of  equilibrium  is  dis- 
turbed and  the  natural  tendency  of  nature  to  regain 
its  equilibrium  is  manifested  by  this  impelling  force 
which  seeks  to  rid  our  mind  through  expression 
of  the  dominant  idea  which  disturbs  our  equili- 
brium. The  result  of  this  tendency  plus  action  is 
production.  Hence  production  can  only  be  awak- 
ened by  stimulation  from  outside  of  man  and  auto 
creative  individuality  can  not  exist. 

There  is  not  and  there  cannot  be  any  existing 
thing  which  could  operate  independently  of  the 
whole.  But  there  exists  a relative  individuality  as 
we  understand  it,  that  is  the  degree  of  the  develop- 
ment of  an  idea  marked  by  man.  It  is  a fact  that 
ideas  belong  not  to  a man  but  to  man.  Ideas  when 
formulated  for  the  first  time  seem  to  be  radically 


25 


The  Modern  Evolution  of 

opposed  to  accepted  ideas,  whereas  they  are  in  real- 
ity nothing  but  the  evolution  of  established  ideas. 

An  idea  is  the  result  of  a cerebral  phenomenon, 
which  operates  physiologically  in  exactly  the  same 
way  in  every  individual,  the  difference  being  merely 
one  of  intensity,  of  clearness,  according  to  the  state 
of  its  development. 

We  can  say  that  to  the  same  inspiration  belongs 
the  same  expression;  that  any  group  of  men  who 
get  their  inspiration  from  the  same  source,  whether 
it  is  objective  or  subjective,  have  the  same  emotions, 
the  same  feelings  which  when  they  become  conscious 
become  ideas,  and  which  are  expressed  in  the  same 
way  but  in  a state  of  more  or  less  perfection  accord- 
ing to  the  state  of  development  of  the  brain. 

We  find  generally  given  as  a proof  of  individual- 
ity that  if  several  individuals  are  given  the  same 
form  to  copy,  when  they  have  done  so,  the  results 
shows  entirely  different  points  of  view,  not  only  in 
technique  but  in  mental  attitude.  This  seems  to  us 
an  entirely  false  conclusion,  and  the  experiment 
generally  leads  to  the  opposite  conclusion. 

If  we  understand  by  mental  point  of  view,  the 
intellectual  state  of  development  of  an  individual, 
his  beliefs  and  his  degree  of  understanding,  we  find 
that  all  individuals  whose  intellectual  development 
is  the  same,  in  so  far  as  things  can  be  equal  to  one 
another,  all  have  their  perceptive  faculties  affected 


26 


Plastic  Expression 

in  the  same  manner.  The  source  of  inspiration 
being  the  same,  their  imagination  will  be  impressed 
along  the  same  lines,  only  in  a more  or  less  intense 
degree  according  to  their  intellectual  capacities. 
Their  productive  faculties  being  proportionate  to 
their  conceptive  faculties,  if  these  last  are  similar, 
the  former  will  also  be  similar,  and  consequently 
their  expression  also  will  be  similar. 

Gustave  Lebon  writes  in  his  ^Tsychology  of 
Peoples” 

‘^Whatever  he  may  do,  man  is  first  of  all 
an  example  of  his  race.  The  sum  total' of 
the  ideas,  of  the  sentiments  which  all  the  in- 
dividuals of  a same  race  bring  with  them  at 
their  birth,  makes  up  the  soul  of  a race.  In- 
visible  in  its  essence,  this  soul  is  quite  visible 
in  its  effects,  since  it  determines  in  reality 
the  whole  evolution  of  a people.” 

There  is  not  and  there  cannot  be  any  idea  outside 
of  the  evolutive  progress  of  thought.  There  is  not 
and  there  cannot  be  a conception  of  form  outside 
of  the  evolutive  progress  of  Form. 

In  exclusive  individuality  the  individual  works 
with  his  own  individual  resources  for  his  own  in- 
dividual self.  The  moment  he  excludes  himself 
from  the  feeling  of  the  community,  the  community 
is  excluded  from  his  feelings.  Individualism  has 
brought  the  supremacy  of  the  idea  over  the  form, 
the  supremacy  of  thought  over  fact,  and  has  re- 


27 


The  Modern  Evolution  of 

course  to  expression  and  facts  to  convey  its  ideas 
to  the  community.  If  the  individualists  think  that 
the  important  element  is  the  spirit  or  the  motive  of 
things,  why  represent  with  other  things  (pictures), 
the  spirit  or  motive  of  things ; and  why  convey  them 
to  others?  To  us  the  perfect  individualism  ought  to 
begin  and  end  with  the  individual  and  we  are  con- 
vinced that  it  shall. 

It  has  been  said  that  ^‘to  discern  form  is  to  verify 
it  to  a pre-existent  idea.’’  That  pre-existent  idea 
when  it  tries  to  bring  forth  a new  form,  generates 
it  from  previous  forms  and  only  marks  a step  for- 
ward in  the  evolution  of  form.  When  we  are 
ignorant  of  the  points  of  the  evolution  which  mark 
the  progress  of  thought  and  of  its  expression,  and 
we  are  confronted  with  a work  of  art  which 
previous  works  of  art  have  not  given  us  elements 
enough  to  understand,  our  ignorance  takes  refuge 
in  the  idea  of  originality,  and  when  we  are  preju- 
diced in  its  favor,  we  try  to  account  for  our 
pleasure,  by  saying  that  our  gratification  is  due  to 
its  novelty,  taking  the  same  attitude  that  a child 
takes  with  everything  that  is  new  to  him.  But  does 
such  a thing  exist  as  originality  in  art,  when  every- 
thing else  belongs  to  progressive  evolution?  Un- 
questionably, no. 


28 


Plastic  Expression 

The  idea  of  Individuality  and  Originality  as  a 
principal  element  in  art  has  too  long  been  influ- 
encing the  judgment  of  the  public,  and  it  has  often 
made  impossible  a proper  understanding  of  the 
meaning  of  art.  Whether  the  public  is  for  or 
against^  the  idea  of  individuality  and  originality 
has  been  obstructive. 

The  latest  manifestations  of  art  have  been  con- 
stantly assailed  by  the  general  public  on  the  ground 
that  the  artists’  principal  motive  was  to  display 
originality,  and  the  public  has  refused  to  investi- 
gate any  further. 

It  is  true  that  in  this  movement  of  art  as  in  all 
movements  of  art,  a large  number  of  artists  have 
taken  up  the  ideas  of  their  leaders,  trying  to  outdo 
them,  carrying  the  elements  they  have  used  to 
ridiculous  exaggeration,  waving  the  flag  of  origi- 
nality, seeking,  in  these  particular  cases,  the 
strangest  expressions  of  form,  abstracting  theories 
of  form  structures  from  all  possible  sources,  from 
geological  stratifications,  from  mineral  crystalliza- 
tions, from  the  organism  of  microbes,  from  ana- 
tomical photographs,  etc.,  etc.,  applying  those 
structures  to  the  human  form  and  to  landscapes, 
etc.  Their  researches  are  not  entirely  lacking  in 
interest,  but  the  result  is  far  from  adding  anything 
to  the  progress  of  the  human  intellect  or  to  the  evo- 
lution of  Form. 


29 


The  Modern  Evolution  of 

Can  this  modern  evolution  of  plastic  expression 
be  called  an  evolution  of  art?  If  we  understand  by- 
art  the  imitative  reproduction  of  form,  or  the  ex- 
pression of  our  emotions  in  our  search  for  beauty; 
if  art  is  nothing  else  than  the  expression  of  a com- 
munal feeling  to  excite  an  impersonal  emotion, 
then,  this  evolution  of  plastic  expression  is  not  an 
evolution  of  art. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  we  accept  the  spirit  of  art 
as  being  both  communal  and  individual,  if  we  be- 
lieve that  in  its  expressions  it  aims  to  excite  both 
an  impersonal  and  a personal  feeling,  that  it  can 
address  itself  both  to  our  senses  and  to  our  intel- 
lect, that  it  can  be  both  religious  and  scientific;  if 
we  accept  that  art  can  evolve  without  changing  its 
spirit  from  being  the  expression  of  the  feelings  and 
emotions  generated  by  the  idea  of  the  beautiful, 
either  religious  or  pagan,  into  the  expression  of  the 
feelings  and  emotions  generated  by  philosophical 
observation  to  the  point  that  feelings  and  emotions 
become  through  analysis  actual  ideas  instead  of 
suggesting  them,  entirely  eliminating  the  idea  of 
the  beautiful  in  form,  replacing  it  by  the  cogni- 
tion of  it  to  the  point  of  trying  to  express  its  organ- 
ism, then,  we  can  say  that  the  latest  manifestation 
of  the  evolution  of  plastic  expression  is  an  evolu- 
tion of  art.  But  then,  we  can  also  say  that  the 
former  conception  of  art  is  dead. 


30 


Plastic  Expression 


If  we  study  the  History  of  art  from  the  time  of 
the  Egyptians  down  to  our  days  we  will  notice  that 
the  actions  and  reactions  suffered  by  art  in  its 
evolution  from  the  religious  to  the  pagan  spirit, 
have  always  been  more  or  less  intellectualized. 

The  art  of  the  Egyptians  aimed  to  infuse  the 
spirit  of  life  into  the  thing  expressed,  to  make  the 
thing  expressed  live  by  itself,  become  the  living 
symbol  of  their  dogma,  the  commanding  force  of 
their  rituals. 

The  Greeks  evolved  that  religious  spirit  of  art 
into  a poetical  materialism.  ^‘The  Egyptian  ele- 
vated himself  to  his  God  divinizing  himself  after 
death;  the  Greeks  lowered  their  God  to  themselves 
lending  him  their  vices.’’ 

The  spiritualistic  school  of  the  Egyptians  was 
continued  in  Byzanthium,  and  gradually  infused 
itself  into  Italy,  predominated  in  Kome  and  reigned 
all  over  Europe  through  the  Byzantine  and  Eoman 
art.  The  Gothic  art  is  the  natural  development  of 
this  art  and  preserves  the  same  spirit.  The  image 
makers  of  the  middle  ages  and  the  Egyptian  work- 
ers show  in  their  art  the  same  profound  knowledge 
of  the  dogmas  of  their  religion.  In  both  arts  the 


31 


The  Modern  Evolution  of 

production  has  aimed  to  express  a convincing  be- 
lief and,  inspired  by  meditations  that  lead  to 
extasis,  to  exert  its  influence  on  man.  It  was  medi- 
tation and  extasis  that  the  artists  tried  to  awaken 
in  man.  The  dogma  was  the  only  source  of  their 
inspiration,  and  their  religion  the  only  reason  of 
their  art. 

The  Kenaissance  put  an  end  to  communal  art  and 
brought  forth  individual  art,  which  by  a slow  pro- 
cess of  evolution  ended  in  individualism.  Art  then 
evolved  by  slow  degrees  from  its  mystical  spirit  to 
realism,  but  the  artists  were  still  trying  to  make 
their  works  live  by  themselves.  It  was  the  outside 
world  represented  by  man. 

The  impressionistic  school,  of  which  Delacroix 
may  be  considered  as  the  initiator,  carried  realism 
to  its  farthest  point,  introducing  the  scientific 
analysis  of  its  elements  of  representation.  The  lat- 
est manifestation  of  art  begins  with  Cezanne.  It 
has  been  written  about  him:  ^^He  has  made  us 
learn  to  dominate  the  universal  dynamism.  He 
revealed  to  us  the  modifications  which  objects  which 
we  regard  as  inanimate  bring  upon  one  another. 
We  have  learned  from  him  that  to  alter  the  colora- 
tion of  a body  is  to  corrupt  its  structure.  He 
prophesied  that  the  study  of  the  primordial  volume 
will  open  the  most  extraordinary  horizons.’’*  With 

*Du  Cubisme,  by  Albert  Gleizes  and  Jean  Metzinger. 


32 


Plastic  Expression 

him  began  the  representation  of  man  through  the 
outside  world,  an  attitude  which  we  find  the  sav- 
ages have  manifested  unconsciously  in  their  plastic 
expressions.  He  initiated  a movement  which  was 
followed  by  the  analysis  of  form  in  its  plastic  or- 
ganism, and  which  in  its  turn  brought  forth  the 
metaphysical  conceptions  of  man  expressed  by  the 
metaphysical  structure  of  form. 

‘^All  thought,  whether  religious  or  philosophical, 
wants  to  perpetuate  itself;  the  idea  which  has 
moved  a generation  wants  to  move  other  genera- 
tions and  leave  its  traces’’,  says  a great  thinker. 
When  we  know  only  the  ideas  of  one  generation  or 
of  other  generations  closely  connected  with  it  and 
keeping  the  same  spirit,  we  are  apt  to  be  over  en- 
thusiastic or  even  fanatical  about  them  and  close 
ourselves  to  the  understanding  of  other  ideas. 

It  is  only  by  studying  carefully  and  without 
prejudice  the  whole  evolution  of  human  thought 
that  we  can  place  ourselves  in  a position  to  under- 
stand the  proper  value  of  the  ideas  of  each  genera- 
tion. 

We  firmly  believe  that  the  modern  evolution  of 
plastic  expression  has  added  a great  deal  to  the  de- 
velopment of  human  thought,  for  it  has  brought  to 
reason  and  conscience  many  unconscious  feelings  of 
man. 


33 


The  Modern  Evolution  of 

But  these  feelings,  although  they  have  become 
conscious  in  man,  and  are  the  outcome  of  reasoning 
and  science  are  nevertheless  of  a metaphysical  char- 
acter. We  could  say  that  the  latest  movement  in 
expression  is  the  metaphysical  expression  of  a psy- 
chological theory.  So  far,  it  has  proposed  many 
problems  but  has  solved  none  of  them.  The  spirit 
of  the  latest  manifestation  of  expression  is  most  in- 
tellectual and  scientific,  and  yet  expresses  itself 
through  the  most  primitive  form  of  expression,  the 
geometrical  one  which  is  the  natural  expression  of 
abstract  feeling,  being  itself  abstract  form.  We 
could  describe  this  movement  as  expressing  definite 
and  concrete  thought  through  indefinite  abstract 
form.  There  is  no  homogeneity,  there  is  a lack  of 
equilibrium  between  the  idea  and  its  expression. 
The  evolution  from  the  expression  of  communal 
feelings  and  emotions  through  concrete  form  to  the 
expression  of  ideas  through  abstract  form  seems  to 
establish  the  law  that:  the  more  analyzed  and  con- 
scious the  feelings  are  the  more  abstract  is  their  rep- 
resentation. As  we  study  the  evolution  of  plastic 
expression  we  find  that  the  evolution  of  thought  and 
the  evolution  of  representation  have  been  carried 
along  different  lines  and  independently  of  one  an- 
other. Thought  evolved  into  ideas  which  went  fur- 
ther and  further  into  the  psychology  of  things  until 
it  entered  metaphysics.  Representation  evolved 


34 


' Plastic  Expression 

from  concrete  to  more  abstract  form  working  we 
might  say  towards  plastic  metaphysics.  Concrete 
form  suggests  ideas;  abstract  form  suggests  emo- 
tions. It  is  those  emotions  that  the  latest  evolu- 
tion of  plastic  expression  has  brought  into  rep- 
resentation. 

The  latest  movement  in  expression  began  with 
Cezanne  with  the  study  of  the  abstract  significance 
of  form  and  of  the  space  which  surrounds  it.  The 
study  of  the  form  of  the  primitive  races  brought 
new  elements  which  led  to  the  study  of  abstract 
form  and  its  significance  and  these  in  turn  led  to 
plastic  metaphysics.  The  followers  of  this  move- 
ment have  tried  to  express  concrete  thought  through 
the  abstract  significance  of  form.  This  to  us  is 
their  mistake  and  the  reason  for  the  misunderstand- 
ing of  their  work. 

Up  to  Cezanne  art  had  its  basis  of  inspiration  in 
the  inner  self  and  expressed  itself  through  the  out- 
side world,  through  facts.  The  artist  tried  to  ani- 
mate the  objects  which  he  represented,  to  make 
them  live  by  themselves.  The  basis  of  inspiration 
of  the  new  movement  is  the  outside  world  and  the 
artist  tries  to  represent  his  inner  conception  of 
form.  He  studies  the  life  of  things  and  tries  to 
express  their  organism. 

The  important  difference,  between  the  old  ex- 
pression and  modern  expression  is  therefore  pri- 


35 


The  Modern  Evolution  of  Plastic  Expression 


marily  one  of  direction.  The  artist  of  earlier  days 
went  out  to  the  outer  world  and  tried  to  infuse  into 
inanimate  form  a spark  of  his  own  life.  The 
artist  of  the  latest  phase  takes  a purely  receptive 
attitude;  he  lets  the  outer  world  come  to  him  and 
finds  his  pleasure  in  analyzing  the  reaction  of  the 
world  on  his  personality. 


36 


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Paul  Cezanne  Les  Joueurs  de  Cartes 


Henri  Matisse  Panel 


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Pablo  Picasso 


Portrait  of  M.  Kahnvjeiler 


Frangois  Ficahia 


Dansev.se  Etoile  sur  un  Transatlantique 


One  ihousaiid  copies  of  this  booklet  have  been  ordered 
printed  Wednesday,  February  26,  1913. 


M.  de  Z.  and  P.  B.  H. 


Printed  by  The  Evening  Post  Job  Printing  Office,  156  Fulton  St.,  N.  Y. 


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For  all  information  concerning  this  hoohlet  and  articles 
on  modern  expression  published  in  Camera  Work,  address 
Alfred  Stieglitz,  291  Fifth  Avenue,  N.  Y.  City, 

The  present  hoohlet  is  for  sale  at  the  Photo  Secession,  291 
Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City,  The  price  is  Fifty  Cents 
a copy. 


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